STAFF at West Mid claim they have been 'let down' by hospital bosses after parking charges rose by more than 200 per cent.

Daily fees for staff parking at the hospital in Twickenham Road rose from 75p to £2.50 (from £3.75 to £12.50 for five days) for those who do not pay for a yearly permit.

Staff who pay on a daily/weekly basis also have to buy a one-off £20 permit to show they are allowed in staff parking.

The price of annual permits varies according to salary.

A 42-year-old healthcare assis- tant, who asked not to be named, said: "As a caring environment you would expect West Middlesex to look after its staff, but we have all been let down by another outra- geous decision made by Ecovert, which has ultimately been backed up by hospital management.

"What are we even getting for our extra money? More security in the car parks? No. More CCTV cameras? No. It is just pure greed at the expense of the mainstay of the hospital."

A spokesman for West Middlesex Hospital said: "Since 2005 we have expanded staff parking spaces, introduced the cycle purchase scheme, added additional cycle shelters, expanded CCTV coverage, extended bus routes, and yet often our staff car parks are full, and this is a constant source of irritation to many staff.

"Over the past six years, the trust has absorbed significant additional staff parking costs, without putting up the cost of parking for staff.

"We have, of course, looked at ways of simplifying the administra- tion associated with staff parking, but to offset the other costs, pro- mote the use of alternative means of travel and to reduce demand the trust is consulting with staff on new proposals."